Maryland
Preserve Guide
Sugarloaf Mountain, Frederick and Montgomery Counties

Nick Hall
Great horned owl
 Red shouldered hawk
Visiting
Sugarloaf is a
Registered National
 Conservation and recreation area
Landmark due to its geological interest and natural
available with 8 miles of marked
beauty. The Conservancy has brought under
trails and splendid views
protection 1,473 acres near Sugarloaf Mountain
 Open every day sunrise to sunset
since 1975. Two tracts, totaling 1,413 acres, are
protected through conservation easements that the
Conservancy assigned to the Maryland Environmental Trust. The 60-acre Tolbert tract was
purchased by the Conservancy in 1977 and conveyed in 1978 to Stronghold, Inc., which
owns and manages the property. Also, from 1974 to 1983, The Nature Conservancy
negotiated the purchase of 1,573 acres along the nearby Monocacy River, which is now
managed as a Natural Resource Management Area by the Maryland Department of Natural
Resources. The mountain itself is the heart of a 3,000 acre private preserve acquired and
established by Gordon Strong. Clearly much effort has been put into preserving this vast and
important landscape. Protection aims at preserving the
mountain and the surrounding farmland from development
pressures coming from major metropolitan areas. There is also
an audio tour available to enhance a visit to the preserve.
Sugarloaf is a popular birding
site, where visitors can see such
species as the great horned owl.
Kathryn Arion/TNC
Sugarloaf Mountain boasts many unique features. It is a
monadnock, or a mountain that remains after the erosion
of the surrounding land. That process took some 14
million years, and has left a wonderful area for exploring.
The rugged cliffs on the summit are composed primarily
of quartzite, providing interesting study for geologists.
Sugarloaf has long been a mecca for birders in the MidAtlantic region. Forest birds include the great horned owl,
pileated woodpecker, wild turkey, and red shouldered hawk.
Sugarloaf’s summit is comprised
During the spring and fall, many migratory species of
of rugged quartzite cliffs.
songbirds can be found. The forests are dominated by red
and white oaks, but there is a wide variety of other trees such as black oak, chestnut oak,
black birch, eastern hemlock dogwood, and sassafras. Sugarloaf contains more than 500
species of plants including a variety of wildflowers, many of
Key Elements
which can be found blooming during the warm weather months.
Whitetail deer are abundant on and around the mountain. Other
 Red and white oaks
mammals include flying squirrel, red fox, eastern cottontail, and
 White tail deer
raccoon.
Maryland
Preserve Guide
Rich in History
Kent Mason
Sugarloaf Mountain has played an important part in
American history. During the Civil War, Union forces were
occupying the summit. From that vantage point they spotted
the Army of Northern Virginia as it crossed the Potomac
River into Maryland. As the Union force retreated from the
coming Confederates, they ran into the 1st North Carolina
Infantry and engaged in a small battle. The Union troops
Whitetail deer are common on the mountain.
were able to escape, but were later caught by Confederate
th
cavalry. In the early 20 century Gordon Strong, a Chicago businessman, bought a great
amount of land around the mountain. Strong commissioned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to
create an development for the top of the mountain, but that idea was never carried out. Later,
President Franklin D. Roosevelt briefly considered using Sugarloaf as his Presidential retreat,
but Strong persuaded him to choose a site near Catoctin Mountain (today the site is known as
Camp David). Strong created a trust fund that maintains the trails and other tourist facilities
at Sugarloaf.
Directions (GPS Coordinates: 39°15'43.2"N 77°23'48.8"W)
From Frederick, MD: Take Route I-270 South to the Hyattstown exit. Follow Route 109 to
Comus, then right on Comus Road to the Sugarloaf Mountain entrance. Take the road up the
mountain and park in the West View parking lot. The audio tour begins near the west end of
the Green Trail.
From Washington, DC: Go North on Route I-270 to the Hyattstown exit. Circle under I-270
and continue on Route 109 to Comus, then right on Comus Road to the Sugarloaf Mountain
entrance. Take the road up the mountain and park in the West View parking lot. The audio
tour begins near the west end of the Green Trail.
Contact
From Bethesda/Rockville Area: Take Route 28 West of
Rockville to Dickerson. After passing under the railroad
bridge, turn right on Mt. Ephraim Road and go 2.5 miles to
Sugarloaf Mountain entrance. Take the road up the
mountain and park in the West View parking lot. The audio
tour begins near the west end of the Green Trail.
Watch Out For!
 Ticks and biting insects
The Nature Conservancy of
Maryland/DC
5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 100
Bethesda, MD 20814
P: 301-897-8570
For more information:
www.nature.org/Maryland